Musical icon, Santigold, is the brainchild and franchise of Santi White, a long time singer and producer from Philadelphia. Her debut album Santogold dropped in 2008. A decade later, she has ultimately changed the face of the pop industry and the way we remember the ’00s.

Santi White was no stranger to the music industry, and has experienced both the creative and administrative sides of the business. She started her career as the A&R representative for Epic records and later left to produce and co-write for Res’s debut album. Her singing career took off when she fronted the punk rock band, Stiff releasing the albums ‘Sex Sells’ (2003) and ‘Burned Again’ (2005) until she was offered a solo contract by Lizard King Records.

It was her debut album, ‘Santogold’ that launched late April of 2008, grabbing the attention of the internet. The ’00s are often looked over as a decade that represented cultural change, however it was artists such as Santigold, LCD Soundsystem and M.IA who were helping to shape the sound of pop music. These masters were clashing music genres and dissolving the the lines of sound borders. LCD Soundsystem were making music referencing multiple decades of the past, while M.IA introduced Sri Lakan culture to the western world. It was Santigold however, who used her punk rock background infused with an electronic and indie genre to form what can only be called ‘Post-genre Pop.’

As the internet and technology became increasingly advanced and websites dedicated to music exploded, Santigold’s music become accessible to everyone. Music was easily downloaded and more portable than ever before.

Her debut album was a wave of heavy dub sounds like “Shove It” and “You’ll find a way”, with smooth additions including “I’m a lady”. While all track were well received, it was “L.E.S Artistes”, that was the highlight of the album, and is still widely played 10 years later.

Sure, she’s not currently headlining festivals and isn’t a ‘Kanye West’ or ‘Beyoncé’, but Santi White is well worth a walk down memory lane. Tune up on the last 10 years and discover her newest music below.